As your pregnancy progresses, your baby's first feces are starting to build up in her bowels. Called meconium, this sticky substance is made up of dead cells, digestive juices, and swallowed amniotic fluid. Meconium is usually not excreted until after birth, although occasionally Baby may release it into the amniotic fluid before delivery.
Baby is now almost five inches long and weighs about four or five ounces. She is firmly anchored via the umbilical cord to the placenta, which continues to grow with her. The placenta, which is now more than an inch thick, contains thousands of blood vessels that exchange nutrients and oxygen from your body to your baby.
Big happenings this week include:
* Layers of fat are beginning to develop under the skin to help keep Baby warm and protect her after birth.
* A rubbery skeleton continues to develop, although Baby's bones are still primarily cartilage, flexible enough to enable her to pass through the birth canal.
* A protective coating called myelin is slowly beginning to cover Baby's spinal cord. This coating will help protect the cord for the rest of Baby's life. (compliments of verybestbaby.com)
I had my check-up yesterday and everything seems to be going well. My blood pressure was 118/60 and the babies heart rate was in the 130s/140s. It's always so comforting to hear that heartbeat! Lily came to the appointment with me and she was a really good girl. She got a little nervous when I laid on the exam table to listen for the heartbeat but she got over it quickly. My ultrasound is scheduled for Wednesday, February 27 at 8 am. I can't wait!
1 comment:
How exciting, Dawn! Low heart beat - do you think that means its a boy?? Will you be finding out at the ultrasound? Stay warm in this weather!
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